Retailers need to optimize for AI search – here’s how

Strong placement in artificial intelligence search results is crucial – and the rules of the game are different than for traditional search engine optimization.

Consumers are increasingly leveraging AI for product search. Recent data from digital marketing agency Fractl reveals 70% of surveyed consumers say their use of AI for product and brand search has increased during the past year and only 4% have never used AI tools for search at all.

This means retailers now need to optimize their marketing and merchandising efforts to show up at or near the top of AI search results as well as traditional search results. AI search optimization prioritizes different factors than traditional search optimization and requires a different approach. 

Here are a few areas where retailers need to align their operations with AI search protocols:

Product attributes

An increasing number of retailers are offering conversational shopping experiences. Leveraging the natural language capabilities of agentic AI, retailers let customers search for products based on factors such as where they’ll be going, what they’ll be doing, and who’ll they be with.

For example, before the advent of conversational search, a customer planning a camping trip would individually search for products such as tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, etc. During each search, they would drill down based on attributes such as price, climate conditions, and level of expertise/difficulty.

With conversational search (which customers can perform via AI platforms like ChatGPT), consumers can instead describe an event in detail and then search products that match their needs as determined by the event.

For example, the previously mentioned shopper planning a camping trip could say,” I’m an experienced camper who will be spending a week in August in Rocky Mountain National Park with three friends and need a complete set of high-priced expert gear.” The AI search engine would then generate highly specific product recommendations based on those exact specifications.

To ensure their products will show up in conversational searches, retailers need to include attributes beyond traditional features such as color and size. A camping tent needs to be described by factors such as specific materials, what climates or parts of the country it is ideally suited for, and level of user expertise it is appropriate for.

Be part of the discussion

Online discussion forums are a critical source of content that can boost a retailer’s AI search optimization score. Positive mentions on sites where consumers discuss companies and brands among themselves, such as Reddit and Yelp, can go a long way toward maintaining a strong presence in AI search results.

On Reddit, retailers should create their own subreddits (dedicated discussion threads) where they actively engage customers and also participate in other relevant subreddits they do not control, with an eye toward promoting positive commentary and quickly responding to and fixing any potential negative remarks.

Similarly, retailers should maintain active Yelp pages where they thank customers for leaving positive comments and engaging with and resolving any bad reviews or complaints. Exceptionally positive commentary on any online forum can be encouraged with targeted rewards, such as coupons or free products.

Keep influential company 

Influencers, content creators and celebrities all represent a significant opportunity for retailers to obtain credibility, gain access to built-in fan bases, and potentially extend their commercial reach via affiliate marketing and sales. Consumers, especially younger Gen Z and millennial shoppers, now often look to influencers as their primary source of product discovery and purchase inspiration. 

[READ MORE: Survey: Majority of social media purchases fueled by online influencers]

AI search engines also give significant weight to influencer content, especially videos and product reviews. If possible, retailers should partner with multiple influencers as AI platforms also analyze if there is a broad third-party consensus on the value of a particular brand or product. 

In addition, content such as a video where an influencer explains exactly why they like a retailer and what specific value their products provide (such as "haul" videos where influencers sort through items they purchased on camera) is extremely valuable for boosting AI search ranking.